Push button



Mmh 31. 1925.

A. C. GAYNOR PUSH BUTTON Filed Jail. 19 1924 ART'HUR Q 4 C G'Ar/vq/r,

Z ATTORNZV' Patented Mar. 31, 1925,

UNIT. so gem-s:

ARTHUR C. GAYNOR OIE $TRATFQR Q CONNECTICUT. 7

EU SH Application filed' J'anuary To all whom it many concern.

Be it known that'I, ARTHUR G. GAYNOR,

a; citizen of'the UnitedStates and a; resi'-- dentof'Stratford, county of Fairfield'; State: of Connecticut, have invented certain-new and useful Improvementsin=Pusli Buttons,

of Which'the followingis :r specification;-

This invention relates to znpush button for electric circuits;

usedfor electric bell and similar circuits. In the ordinary type of push buttons;

the button is made of" er sol-id piece of insulating material loosely mounted lIYZILSUJlte able button opening in ahousing and pos-i tioned to press:- a. leaf spring contactwme'm her into *contact with acstwtionary con-tact member its the buttoniis pressed inwardly; In devices of this type and construction, the button is liable: to be tilted When-pres sure is applied obliquely. orto one side of-the center of-th'e'button-and the: button may then fail to bring the-contact pieces into effective contact,--. particularly as the devicebecomesWorn-With use. Devices of this construction,- moreover, are construction and: are not-Well adapted to Withstand the: destructive action I of the: elemerits;

These'defectsere obviatediby my present invention, an object of which is to provide n-wsimple, strong, and compact push button, which -may be easily assembled and is eflicient undi reliable inoperation.

Another objectof the invention-is to provide,- indeviees ofthistype, con-tactimemljGI'S'WlllCll make effective contaot when the actuating push button ispresse'd in anin clincd-i or tilted position on. the contact pieces. Other objects of the invention methprovide an improved support for the-contl-ct block of push button, to'provide. an arrangement ofpush button;supporting recess for the button, and contact mom i bcrs that i ll permit an -oblongrlmtton to be successfully employed, and to provide a hollow button: and contact members-- there for that will enablethe deviee-to-bemade compact and flat in construction Vith these and other objects in View, the invention comprisesthe push button de particularly ofthe type of a bulky minalsr are mounted V on BUTTON.

-19', 1924. Serial No;. 687,195;

' viee described and mg specification and claims. 1 V

The various features of the invention are in which 7 setforth in i the follow ilhistra-ted' in the accompanying. drawings,

Fig. 1- is a .front or plan :vieW "of-- a push button device embodyingmy invention,-.. Fig. 2- is e: section of the: push buttontaken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. button,

3 is abotto m'pla n viewof. the push Fig. 4. isa cross sectional View of thefl push button,- Fig.--1,

Fig.2 5' is an: enlarged sectional View, substantially online 2+2 of Fig. 1, of a. portion of the device when the-contacts are taken" ontheline H of depressed by the-pus'h-button tilted-to one side; I

:FigQG is=az view of a portionof the device similar: to thutaof Fig." 5"butshowing; the button tilted inthe opposite direction,

Fig; 7 is a detail perspectiveview of abutton h'o-u'singiforming a: pa'rtiof-t'he device,

Fig; 8 isn-perspective bottom vie-W of the button member of the' device, l

Fig. 9' is: mperspective view: of an insulat i g member adapted to be mounted in'the .button,' .and ,7

Fig: 10 is auperspect-ive vieW- of a co'ntact supporting: block for use inith-e: apparatus.-

In my present invention, the-conte cttera terminal, block, preferablyby means of: the binding screws, in: suchiaiiposition asgto overlap atathe pors 'tionswhere conta'c-t'is to bedn'ade: The upper'ofthese contacts is sprungupwardlyout of contactwith the lower 1,11 cl its upper surfzicey is rounded and presses-u'pwardly again-st the 'under surface ot aupush button,- holding the pu'sh button in its-outward position inn guiding recess. This'push l u ltto'nis: preferably-hollow tozennble the-entire structure to be: made flat, theupper part of the upper contact terminal being:-r -:-ceived in the hollow portion of the button. .lVhen eny portion oi? the button-us depressed, it 'engagesthe upper surface of the upper: Contact: terminal and presses it against: the: lower terminal, thus enabling: an elongated button. to be: used.

of claws 40 to secure housing 24 may standards struck in which the push button is guided, thus enabling a compact, strong, structure to be obtained.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, a pair of contact terminals .12 and 14 are mounted on a terminal block 16 and connected to wires 18 of an electric circuit by means of a pair of-binding screws 20 and 22. The with its associated elements is supported in a housing 24 by means of a pair of standards 26 and 28 which are stamped rearwardly from the side edges of a button recess or hole 30 and fit into and engage recesses 32 and 34 in the side edges of the'terminal block 16. As indicated most clearly in Fig. 7, each standard has a wide portion 36 adjacent the edge of the opening 30 on the inner or rear edges of which rests the forward'face of the terminal block 16, a narrow or neck portion 38 which fits into the recess 32 or 34 and a wider end portion which is bent over the lower or rear edge of the block 16 in a pair the block in position. the example shown in the drawings, the opening 30 is preferably elongated, having a pair of parallel side edges 42 and 48 and symmetrical rounded ends 44 and 45, and the standards 26 and 28 are formed by slitting the metal through which the opening 30 is to be stamped along its longer axis, butting the metal into therequired form and bending inwardly at right angles to the surface of the housing. The be made or stamped integral with an escutcheon 46 or may be mounted thereon by means of lugs 48 bent under the edge of a hole 50 covered by the button housing. The escutcheon may be mounted on a supporting surface 52 by means of a pair of As indicated in screws 53 or other suitable means.

The terminal contact 14 is mounted on the terminal block 16 with a portion resting against the front face of the block then bent to fit in a recess 54 in the lower end of the block and continuing rearwardly and bent to form a flat portion 56 resting against the rear face of the block. The terminal is secured to the block by means of the binding screw 22 which passes through an opening in the flat portion 56 of the terminal and ex tends into or through an opening 58 in the lower part of the block. The front portion of the-terminal isrounded forwardly from the front face of the terminal block 16 forming a forwardly rounded contact portion 60.

The other contact terminal. 12 is similarly mounted on the block 16 with a portion fitted in a recess 62 at the upper end of'the block 16 and continuing in a portion 64 on the rear face of the block and secured thereto by means of the binding screw 20' mounted in an opening 66 in the upper portion of the block, The forward portion of inwardly from the opening terminal block 16 contact terminal 14 as the button is the terminal is also bent into a forwardly rounded portion 68 immediately in front of and overlapping the portion 60 of the terminal 14 and is normally sprung forwardly out of contact with the portion 60. When pressure is applied to any portion of the front face of the portion 68, however, it is depressed into contact with the portion 60 of the lower terminal 14, swinging about its support or junction on the block 16 and being thus positively positioned relative to the lower terminal so that pressure applied to any portion of its rounded projecting portion will bring it into effective contact with the contact 14.

In its forwardly sprung position, the contact 12 presses against the inner surface of a hollow metallic push button .70 being pro- 7 tected from direct contact with the metallic surface of the button by means of an intervening layer of insulating material 7 2. The button is formed of a flat forward portion 74 against the inner surface of which the contact 12 presses and a rearwardly extending flange 7 6 extendingabout the entire edge of the button. The button is normally pressed outwardly by the contact 12 until lugs 7 8 extending outwardly from the rear edges of the flange against the rear surface of the housing 24, there being preferably four or more of the lugs 78, so that, should the button be pressed 7 6 are brought up rearwardly at one end or edge,-it may pivot Y about the opposite pair The button will thus of lugs. depress or push the contact terminal 12 into contact with the pushed straight backwardly or tilted about a pair of the lugs 78, as'illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, since the contact 12 swings intocontact makingposition when any portion of the rounded surface 68 is pressed'backwardly from any angle. The button may therefore be made ofan elongated shape corresponding to the shape of the opening or recess 30 inasmuch as the'contact terminals will be brought into contact/even though the button be depressed or tilted about one end.

The button is accordingly formed with a pair of straight sides 80 and 81 corresponding to the sides 42 and 43 of the hole 30 and with'rounded ends 82 and 88 corresponding to the rounded ends 44 and 45 of the opening 30. i

An elongated button of this type which will operate the contacts successfully when any portion of its surface is pushed is very desirable as it presents a pleasing and attractive appearance and is more easily actuated. The hollow construction is also desirable in this connection as it enables the structure as a whole to be made more compact and fiat in appearance and less likely to be injured. The button may be made of any desired material but metal is generally desired as it withstands the action of the weather and of the elements without injury or deterioration in appearance.

Havin described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the type described which comprises, a housing having an opening for a push button, a pair of supports struck up from said housing at the edge of said opening and a terminal block engaged between and supported by said supports.

2. 1 device of the type described which comprises, a housing for a push button hav ing a recess, a pair of supports struck up from the edges of said recess, a terminal block supported by said supports, said supports having an edge on which the front face of said block rests, a narrowed portion extending through a recess in said block, and a claw portion engaging the rear of said block.

3. A device of the type described which comprises a push button, a housing having a recess for said button and a pair of supports struck in from said recess, a terminal block supported between and by said sup ports, a pair of terminals mounted on said block and having overlapping contact portions, one of said terminals having an outwardly rounded portion and being sprung outwardly to bring said rounded portion against the inner surface of said button.

4. A device of the type described which comprises, a hollow push button, a hous ing having a recess for said button and a pair of supports struck rearwardly from the edges of said recess, a terminal block supported between and by said supports, a pair of terminals mounted on said block and having outwardly rounded overlapping contact portions, one of said terminals being sprungforwardly to bring said rounded portion against the inner surface of said button.

ARTHUR C. GAYNOR. 

